don't tell my niece

Unlike other companies, MetroPCS has no minimum age for signing up. Its ad, with a young model with a huge smile, boasts, "No credit check, no bank account, no problem." It also doesn't require a minor to have a parent co-sign on a contract, unlike other plans.

this is really, unbelievably irresponsible of the metropcs. i'm all for youth strength and activism, especially when it comes to health care and education and empowerment, but these for-profit companies are totally preying on the youth with no respect for their well-being. and it's one thing for a company to sell kids some clothing or a pair of sneakers without their parents' permission. it's another thing for them to be signing a legal contract that binds them to certain conditions and responsibilities which they may not completely comprehend or be able to undertake. parents: watch out for metropcs and other scammers targeting your young children behind your back. and the world thinks homosexuals are out to get children!

and in case my niece's mother is reading this, here's another article she might be interested in: If you use bank-issued plastic at the [gas]pump, you will almost always face a hold on your account of up to $75. And even though the transaction is completed in just minutes, the hold could last as long as a week. And either the gas station, the bank, the credit card issuer or the oil company is to blame for this, but nobody seems to know for sure. And that doesn't seem to be an issue for the various business interests, which have been aware of the practice for years. Because, after all, only consumers are getting hosed.